Despite the popularity of the group in the late 70s and early 80s, perhaps no group has become more of a forgotten entity in the last few years than Van Halen. And I'm not talking about the years with Sammy Hagar. Those will always be the subject of debate between the die hard fans of original vocalist David Lee Roth and the fans who think the Sammy material is quite alright for what it is.

It's amazing how quickly we forget how dynamic a band the Roth fronted Van Halen was. In fact, a quick perusal through Epinions tells you that outside of the self-titled debut and 1984 (AKA the band's most over-rated album), VH isn't getting much play from the members of this website.

Women and Children First was the band's third record. Their self titled debut, to this day, is considered a stone-cold hard rock classic. The follow up, Van Halen II, was a solid sophomore effort, showcasing a bit more diverse band, especially on the ultra catchy pop singles like Dance the Night Away. Women and Children First continues the band's exploration into other sounds and styles, without compromising the main course of blistering, guitar driven hard rock.

The album is bookended by its two finest songs, ...And the Cradle Will Rock and In A Simple Rhyme. Cradle is a methodically driven rocker that showcases guitarist Eddie Van Halen's burgeoning obsession with the keyboard. You might not notice though, since it was fed through a guitar amp in order to generate a more raw sound.

In A Simple Rhyme, on the other hand, is a gorgeous and melodic mix of rock and power pop. Some might call it a power ballad, but the song has a bit more drive to it than most power ballads. In addition, the bass playing of Michael Anthony stands out on this track, giving the song a solid rhythmic foundation, over which Eddie lays down some really melodic licks.

Perhaps the best known song on the record is Everybody Wants Some!!. At five minutes plus, some might consider it a little excessive, especially with the long intro and Roth's sidebar goofiness. But the song is redeemed because of Roth's exuberance, and the general energy of the band.

One song that is overly long is Fools. The fact that this track becomes a close to six minute test of endurance doesn't stop it from being good, it just stops it from being great. Another overly long intro does it no favors, despite the flashy skills of Eddie on guitar, and the song drags on for about a minute too long at the end, with Roth being goofy and the band sort of just jamming on a main riff laid down by Eddie, with some solo work dubbed over the top.

Tora! Tora! is a track not unlike Eruption from the first record, though this proves to hardly be the showcase for Eddie that Eruption was. This leads into Loss of Control, which is by far the worst track on the record. Not only is Roth bordering on (if not completely crossing the line) obnoxiousness, but whoever is singing with him on the chorus drops into this horrible falsetto that makes me want to pull my hair out.

Thankfully, other moments on the disc make up for this. The band's playful side is advertised with abandon on Could This Be Magic, a mix of acoustic and slide acoustic guitar that also gives the album its title. The acoustic guitar is also on prominent display on Take Your Whiskey Home, before kicking into a harder edged groove that will make you groove.

While not as consistent as the band's debut, Women and Children First manages to be just a hair above Van Halen II. For those who are fans of Roth, he's in top form here, and the instrumentation throughout the record is top notch as well. If you like Van Halen but don't own this record, I suggest you rectify that. And soon.

4 stars.

Recommended: Yes